We might be tempted to think, “I don’t live in an area like that. It will never happen to me.” As someone who was ordered to suddenly leave their house due to the possibility of a tree descending on it, I can tell you that we all need to be prepared for a disaster.
I have near my front door a Grab and Go Bag. I put this bag together myself based on the information taken from Judith Kolberg’s book, Organize for Disaster. It is an extremely comprehensive book and easy to read and follow. FEMA also has a useful site – http://www.fema.gov/ – but is not so helpful about paperwork.
I must warn you, however, that it does take a considerable amount of time to put the paperwork section of it together. I broke it down into segments so that it would not be overwhelming and then I update it each year.
It gives me great comfort to know that this bag has much of what I need in order to survive if I need to leave my home suddenly.
I recommend that you start today in putting together your bag and plan for your family. Make it a goal to have it complete by the end of September and then put it on your calendar to update it every year.
Jonda S. Beattie Professional Organizer